Everything you should know about the Dior Cruise 2020 collection in Marrakech

The long awaited Cruise 2020 collections are now debuting! What is the first place? Marrakech! Dior has created a huge outdoor lighted lane in a 16th-century palace, the El Badi, to honor the local culture – also, the city will be the African Capital of Culture in 2020. In addition, the brand will establish new partnerships with several African artists, artisans and designers to create new prints, fabrics and accessories.

The Cruise collection, which is off the great fashion weeks’ agenda, has a holiday style, being more relaxed and less daily. No wonder that the runway was marked by fluttering dresses and pieces with breathtaking details in earthy, black and green tones. Each look showed a huge variety of prints, patterns and finishes worthy of trips of the most demanding clients.

Part of the curatorial work was done by the African fashion anthropologist Anne Grossfilley and by entities that support the development of local handicrafts with sustainable initiatives. Among the brand’s partnerships for the collection is a company from Abidjan (a town on the Ivory Coast) to manufacture fabrics, with prints featuring figures and landscapes in the style of Toile de Jouy.

Another partnership that gained prominence was with the designer Pathé’O, known for wearing Nelson Mandela, who created a shirt for the runway. In addition, hair bands were signed by Stephen Jones, an English hatter and by the Nigerian Daniella Osemadewa.

During the runway, Dior honored Yves Saint Laurent, who took over the creative direction of the brand in the late 1950s and was inspired by North Africa throughout his career.